New train station moves a step closer

A contractor has been appointed to oversee the final stages of development work on a new railway station in West Yorkshire.

The £25m railway station is Elland, which will be added to the Calder Valley line, is set to open in 2026.

Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited are aiming to complete a detailed design of the project by next summer.

Calderdale Council leader Jane Scullion said the new station would bring "huge benefits for the borough, improving access to the wider region and supporting local growth".

Once the next stage of the project is complete, the development can then progress to final approval and then construction, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It is being delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) in partnership with Calderdale Council with the aim of improving Elland's transport links with Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford and Manchester.

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said the station "will provide a vital new link for the transport network in Calderdale, improving access to jobs, education and other opportunities".

The plans also include walking and cycling upgrades around the station, including enhancing existing routes and installing two new pedestrian and cycle bridges.

The project has already passed a number of key milestones that are essential for delivering a new station, including receiving planning approval, and preliminary design approval from Network Rail.

But delays have caused frustration.

A Conservative member of Calderdale Council, Peter Hunt, said previously there had been an absence of "substantive" updates on the project.

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